Being in pain, emotionally or relationally, is what draws many people to find a therapist. Currently, therapy is enjoying a cultural moment of popularity. You may have heard a version of “everyone needs therapy” or “therapy is for you if you have experienced childhood.” While mostly light-hearted, these prompts speak to those who notice pain in themselves and those around them.
The Purpose Of A Process Group
A process group is an unstructured, collaborative therapy. In joining a process group, you commit to bringing up what is going on for you and being present with others doing the same. This can be at the core of what is difficult for us to do with others. It is vulnerable to be seen and known, particularly in ways we struggle. It is also the reason why group therapy is often powerfully healing. The group amplifies the warm regard one person feels from an individual therapist. Within the group, there are ways to bring up how we are feeling and experiencing each other. These skills are transferable to our lives and relationships.
The Role Of The Therapist
In process group therapy, the therapist is present in the collaborative process, intervening as little as possible and as often as necessary. This may not be familiar like other forms of group therapy focusing on education or setting specific sharing rules. This lack of structure allows us to show up differently and possibly notice how we do or don’t participate. Unlike individual therapy, you are not the main or only focus in a group setting. You, like the others, are part of the collaborative experience. The therapist may offer prompts to start a discussion or deepen the focus of a particular person’s share to facilitate a therapeutic moment. Your responsibilities are to listen to understand and allow what comes up for you.
Your Commitment
For this reason, a process group will have a minimum time commitment, something like 3 months of weekly meetings. This allows enough time for cohesion between group members so that sharing takes a natural rhythm of its own. There is no set conclusion for how long a member might participate in a process group. People stay as long as it offers interest to them in their development. This can be several years as a regular therapeutic practice.
Dealing With Differences
Many of us are aware that the world we live in is inherently unfair. Opinions about this differ and it can seem like those differences are insurmountable. In today’s world, it can be scary to believe you hold a different opinion from those around you. It might feel safer to avoid finding out by not talking about hard things. When everything seems so hard for everyone, it might be too much to let someone know how hard it feels for you. Your burdens are both too small to matter and too much to share with anyone else. This is where group therapy shines.
If you would like to join this group book a free 30-minute group therapy consultation here:
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